Mothering Justice is a left-of-center advocacy organization based out of Detroit, Michigan. It primarily focuses on issues related to mothers, such as childcare, abortion, paid family/maternal leave, and healthcare issues. ¹ It is a member of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. ²

Its major donors include many left-leaning nonprofit organizations, such as the New Venture Fund, ³ the Ford Foundation, ⁴ the Third Sector New England (TSNE)-sponsored Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, ⁵ and the North Fund. ⁶

Its lobbying efforts are conducted by the associated political advocacy group Mothering Justice Action Fund. The group has lobbied the federal government from 2021 to 2023, spending a total of $250,000 in those three years. ⁷ It is funded by other left-leaning nonprofits, such as the North Fund, Groundswell Action Fund, and All Hands on Deck Network. ⁸

Background

Mothering Justice is based out of Detroit, Michigan, with most of its activities pertaining to local and state levels. ⁹ Danielle Atkinson founded the organization in 2012. ¹⁰ Mothering Justice is a member of the larger Black Mamas Matter Alliance, a left-leaning nonprofit that unifies multiple other groups across the United States to “advance Black maternal health, rights, and justice.” ¹¹

Mothering Justice Action Fund is the 501(c)(4) political advocacy partner of Mothering Justice. They were founded in 2015. ¹²

Activities

In 2021, Mothering Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Michigan alleging that the state illegally delayed and modified provisions of two ballot measures that increased the state’s minimum wage and allowed employees to earn paid sick leave from employment. Upon The Court of Claims granting the plaintiffs with the Attorney General summary deposition, the court voided the two laws which modified the ballot measures from July 2022 until February 2023.  ¹³

In 2022, the group lobbied the Michigan Legislature to secure abortion in the state after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, among other policy measures such as paid parental leave, Medicare coverage, and childcare affordability. ¹⁴

Mothering Justice aided in the creation of the “Mamas’ Caucus,” a congressional caucus advancing the left-of-center policy objectives as the nonprofit. The caucus includes 18 members as of 2024. The chairs of the caucus are Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Cori Bush (D-MO), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Grace Meng (D-NY), and Nikema Williams (D-GA). ¹⁵

Leadership

Danielle Atkinson has worked as the executive director of Mothering Justice since 2012. She was elected to a term on the Wayne State University Board of Governors that will end in 2030. ¹⁶

Financials

In 2021, Mothering Justice received $2,579,497 in contributions. This is a decrease from the preceding year, when it received $3,827,234, its largest donation sum up to that point. ¹⁷

Democracy Fund Voice, the 501(c)(4) sister organization to left-leaning Democracy Fund, donated $375,000 to Mothering Justice Action Fund in 2022. ¹⁸ Groundswell Action Fund donated $50,000 in 2021. ¹⁹

Left-leaning nonprofit Tides Advocacy granted $100,000 in 2022. ²⁰

The Early Childhood Funders Collaborative (ECFC), a nonprofit collaborative of multiple foundations focusing on childcare, granted Mothering Justice $115,000 annually from 2021 to 2023. The ECFC is fiscally sponsored by Third Sector New England, a left-leaning business consulting group. ²¹

The Ford Foundation is a frequent contributor, giving Mothering justice $1,000,000 in 2021, $350,000 in 2019, $150,000 in 2015 and 2016, and $300,000 in 2017. ²²

The New Venture Fund, a left-leaning nonprofit managed by Arabella Advisors, gave $50,000 in 2020, ²³ $105,000 in 2021, ²⁴ and $35,000 in 2022 to Mothering Justice. ²⁵  North Fund, another Arabella-managed nonprofit, donated $75,000 in 2021.  ²⁶

1. “Advocacy.” Mothering Justice. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.motheringjustice.org/.
2. “Partners.” Black Mamas Matter Alliance, March 28, 2023. https://blackmamasmatter.org/our-partners/.
3. New Venture Fund, Form 990, 2022, 2022. https://newventurefund.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NVF-2022-Public-Disclosure-Copy-257292001.pdf.
4.   “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?orderby=amount&ref=localnewsblues.com&search=Mothering%2BJustice&utm_medium=email&utm_source=substack
5. “Mothering Justice.” Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, June 15, 2023. https://ecfunders.org/grantee/mothering-justice/.
6.  “North Fund IRS Form 990, Schedule I.” Propublica, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/834011547/202343149349301734/IRS990ScheduleI.
7. “Mothering Justice Lobbyists.” OpenSecrets. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/lobbyists?cycle=2023&id=D000096789.
8. “Mothering Justice Action Fund.” Mothering Justice Action Fund | Detroit, MI | Cause IQ. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/mothering-justice-action-fund,822828323/.
9. “Mamas’ Agenda.” Mothering Justice. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.motheringjustice.org/mamasagenda.
10. “Danielle Atkinson.” Mothering Justice. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://www.motheringjustice.org/team/danielle-atkinson.
11. “Partners.” Black Mamas Matter Alliance, March 28, 2023. https://blackmamasmatter.org/our-partners/.
12. “About.” MJAF. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.motheringjusticeaction.org/about.
13. COA 362271 MOTHERING JUSTICE V ATTORNEY GENERAL, January 26, 2023. https://www.courts.michigan.gov/4936dc/siteassets/case-documents/uploads/opinions/final/coa/20230126_c362271_62_362271.opn.pdf.
14. Nurse, Krystal. “Black Mothers Rights Nonprofit Lobbies Michigan Legislature on Parental Health.” Lansing State Journal, June 15, 2022. https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/entertainment/2022/06/15/mothering-justice-michigan-legislature-reproductive-child-care-issues-reo-v-wade/7621086001/.
15. “Congressional Mamas’ Caucus.” Rashida Tlaib. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://tlaib.house.gov/congressional-mamas-caucus.
16. University, Wayne State. “Danielle Atkinson.” Board of Governors. Accessed March 11, 2024. https://bog.wayne.edu/atkinson.
17. “Mothering Justice – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/453740989.
18.  Bird, Meredith. “Mothering Justice Action Fund: Democracy Fund Voice.” Democracy Fund Voice |, March 29, 2023. https://democracyfundvoice.org/mothering-justice-action-fund/.
19.  “Mothering Justice Action Fund.” Mothering Justice Action Fund | Detroit, MI | Cause IQ. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/mothering-justice-action-fund,822828323/.
20. “Tides Advocacy, IRS Form 990.” Propublica, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943153687/202323189349318662/full.
21. “Mothering Justice.” Early Childhood Funders Collaborative, June 15, 2023. https://ecfunders.org/grantee/mothering-justice/.
22. “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed April 1, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?orderby=amount&ref=localnewsblues.com&search=Mothering%2BJustice&utm_medium=email&utm_source=substack.
23.  New Venture Fund, Form 990, 2020, 2020. https://newventurefund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/NVF-2020-Public-Disclosure-Copy-1.pdf
24. New Venture Fund, Form 990, 2021, 2021. https://newventurefund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NVF-2021-990-Public-Disclosure-Copy.pdf
25. New Venture Fund, Form 990, 2022, 2022. https://newventurefund.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/NVF-2022-Public-Disclosure-Copy-257292001.pdf.
26. “North Fund IRS Form 990, Schedule I.” Propublica, 2021. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/834011547/202343149349301734/IRS990ScheduleI.